MPs Dismiss Two-Tier Policing Claims in Southport Riots Report

A parliamentary review finds police response to 2024 riots was appropriate and calls for reforms to address misinformation and outdated legal protocols.

The Home Affairs Committee report concluded that claims of 'two-tier policing' during the riots were baseless and undermined the efforts of officers facing significant violence.
Police actions were deemed appropriate given the severity of the unrest, which included assaults on officers, arson, and targeted attacks on mosques and asylum-seeker housing.
The report highlighted how outdated contempt laws and media protocols created an information vacuum, allowing misinformation about the attacker to spread widely.
MPs urged reforms, including updates to contempt laws and media guidelines, to better equip law enforcement for crises in the social media age.
The riots led to over 1,800 arrests, 1,072 charges, and significant injuries among police officers, with damages exceeding £28 million.